A cool West Coast evening set the stage for a gritty, hard-fought clash on Monday night as Vancouver Rise FC earned a 1-0 victory over Halifax Tides FC at Swangard Stadium. The win marked Vancouver’s second of the season, pushing them to earn the number 2 spot in the standings with 6 points, while Halifax is still in search of its first win in Northern Super League play. The match also debuted new kits for both the home and away teams - Vancouver sporting moonlight black and Halifax in white and stormy purple.
From the opening whistle, Vancouver took control of the tempo, pressing high and keeping much of the possession. Their efforts generated a string of early corner kicks and forced Halifax to sit deep and defend in numbers. Despite the pressure, Halifax held strong through the first half, with goalkeeper Erin McLeod making several confident stops to keep the game scoreless before the break.
But the breakthrough came just minutes into the second half. In the 53rd minute, Vancouver defender Jasmyne Spencer found herself on the end of a dangerous cross into the box. With expert timing and precision, Spencer powered home a header that sailed past McLeod and ignited the home crowd. It was a well-deserved reward for a player who had been anchoring the back line all game - and now became the match-winner.
Halifax responded with urgency, pushing forward in the final half-hour and carving out a few promising opportunities. Tides forward Kiley Norkus came closest, curling a shot wide of the post in the 90th minute. But Vancouver’s back line, anchored by Spencer and goalkeeper Morgan McAslan, refused to break. McAslan recorded the club’s second clean sheet of the season with a composed performance between the posts, showing safe hands and sharp positioning.
Statistically, Vancouver held the edge in almost every category - including 58% possession, 9 total shots, and a commanding 11-2 advantage in corner kicks. Their ability to control the midfield and generate set-piece chances proved pivotal over the course of the 90 minutes.
As the final whistle blew, it was a deserved three points for the Rise, who now turn their attention to a road matchup against AFC Toronto. Halifax, meanwhile, will regroup and prepare for a challenging visit to Montreal to face a Roses squad coming off a statement win.
With strong fan support and a resilient squad, Vancouver Rise FC is beginning to live up to its name - steadily climbing the league table and setting a high standard at Swangard.